Guidobaldo
da Montefeltro,
Duke of Urbino, was born in Gubbio in 1472 and died in Fossombrone in 1508.
He was the son of Federico II and Battista Sforza and the last of the Montefeltro
line. Guidobaldo had a very fine humanistic education under Ludovico Adasio
and Ottaviano Ubaldini, who was Guidobaldo's cousin. He succeeded his father
as duke of Urbino in 1482. In 1489 Guidobaldo married Elisabetta Gonzaga (whose
portrait by Raphael is reproduced here), the sister of the Marquis of Mantua.
Even though Guidobaldo could not give Elisabetta any children, because of his
impotency, she always had a very strong affection for him.
On June 20, 1502, Guidobaldo was forced to leave Urbino, being besieged by the
troops of Cesare Borgia. Guidobaldo had asked Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua (Elisabetta's
brother) for military help, but it didn't materialize. Four months later, taking
advantage of the malcontent among Cesare Borgia's troops, on October 18 Guidobaldo
was able to return to Urbino. But in December Cesare conquered Urbino for
the second time, and Guidobaldo had to seek refuge in Venice. The following
year Cesare's father, Pope Alexander VI, died, and in the month of August Guidobaldo
returned once again to Urbino, The new pope, Julius II della Rovere, nominated
him Commander General of the papal army, and in 1504 Guidobaldo adopted his
nephew, Francesco Maria della Rovere who will be his successor. Guidobaldo died
at the very young age of 36
from an acute case of gout.

At that time the court of Urbino
was the most refined and elegant among Italian courts, a real meeting point of
culture, with Elisabetta as the central presiding figure in the life of the court.
Among the most constant guests in Urbino we find Pietro Bembo, Giuliano de' Medici,
Ottaviano and Federico Fregoso, Cesare Gonzaga, and many other men of lettersincluding,
of course, Baldassare Castiglione. Elisabetta Gonzaga is the "Duchess"
in Castiglione's The Courtier.